Jay-Z makes history, becomes hip-hop’s first billionaire

The “Otis” rapper made a fortune that totals $1 billion, making him the first hip-hop artiste to do so. He is also one of only a few entertainers to achieve that feat.

Jay's empire, according to the American business magazine, was built through various deals in liquor (Armand de Brignac and D’Ussé), cash investments, art collections, real estate, streaming services, his record label, and music catalogue.

Vibes reports that Jay-Z's cash and investments come to a total of $220 million; his stake in liquor brands D’Ussé and Armand de Brignac totals $410 million; his music streaming platform, Tidal, tallies at $100 million; Roc Nation follows with $75 million; his music catalogue rakes in $75 million; his art collection, $70 million; finally, his real estate investments totals $50 million.

Even though Dr. Dre is claimed to have already achieved billionaire status a couple of years ago, but that isn't entirely true.

According to Forbes, Dre sold his brand, Beats by Dr. Dre to Apple for $3 billion. While his company is worth billions, Dre's personal net worth is $850 million.

Jay's story is especially astonishing considering his journey to the top. Coming out of Brooklyn’s Marcy housing projects, Jay hustled as a drug dealer. He later traded in the life for music, co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records and releasing 14 No. 1 albums.